Treasurer Josh Frydenberg lashed on ABC for failure to vaccinate aged care workers

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has been blasted in a fiery interview on the ABC for failing to properly vaccinate an essential section of the population.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has been lashed on the ABC for the government’s sluggish and disordered rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine for Australia’s aged care workers.

It will be mandatory for aged-care workers to have at least one jab by the middle of September – only two weeks away.

But ABC news breakfast host Michael Rowland pointed out to the Treasurer that less than 20 per cent of aged-care homes across Australia are even close to fully vaccinating their staff.

“There is no way that target will be met, is there?” Mr Rowlands asked Mr Frydenberg on Wednesday.

Mr Frydenberg deflected blame, stating it was states’ responsibility to put the public health orders in place to achieve full vaccination coverage of the aged-care workforce.

“This was agreed again through national cabinet,” he said.

But the ABC host would not let Mr Frydenberg off the hook.

“These aged-care workers were to be vaccinated back in April,” Mr Rowlands said.

“You are the Treasurer, you know maths … there is a long distance between 19 per cent and 100 per cent in two weeks’ time.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was lashed over a federal government expectation that 100 per cent of aged care workers would be vaccinated by mid-September, when only 19 per cent of facilities had come close to fully innoculating or partially vaccinating all their staff so far. Picture: ABC.

He was lashed by ABC Breakfast host Michael Rowland who told him: "You are the Treasurer, you know maths.”

Mr Rowlands told Mr Frydenberg there was “no way” that the mandatory vaccination target could be reached on time.

But the federal Treasurer dodged the question, again diverting blame to the Australia’s state Premiers.

“I know that only a few states have actually mandated it under their public health orders,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“I think South Australia is one, I think Western Australia was another.

“It is important that all the states take that action, as agreed at national cabinet”

Mr Frydenberg said the nation was “making progress” in vaccinating aged care workers but would not clarify whether he believed the mandatory vaccination target would be reached by mid-September.